Fragments
by YappiChick
Summary: 117 word drabbles centered around 10 different fic genres.  MCxC
1. Chapter 1

**So, this is a super-sized take on the 10 words, 10 fics. Instead of the original 10 words, I bumped it up to 117 words (cause being a fangirl is too much fun.) All of the drabbles have an original prompt from my "Moments" story. And, of course, all are MCxC centered cause that's I roll.**

**Angst (set during Halo 3)**

He wondered again how he could have left her behind.

John wasn't one to second-guess himself, but now, after seeing how corrupted she had become after spending so long with that thing, that _Gravemind_, on High Charity, he couldn't help but to wonder if he should have insisted that she go with him back to earth.

Footsteps coming from behind him caused him to look away from the motionless image of Cortana. "She'll be alright," Johnson said, cigar in mouth. "She's too damn stubborn to be beaten by some overgrown fungus."

The two of them looked at her avatar, her face frozen in pain and worry. "I hope you're right, Johnson. This war has enough dead heroes."

**AU (set during Halo 3)**

This was _not_ happening.

Instead of activating the Index, Cortana transferred herself to the yet-to-be-finished Halo control system. "Cortana, we need to light this ring."

"You don't get it, John. The Flood cannot be beaten. They destroyed the Forerunners. They killed the Prophets. Humans…Covenant…we're next," she said, her sickly green avatar testifying to her rampancy.

"Cortana, activate the Index," he insisted. "Then we can go home."

"Sorry, Chief, but this Installation is mine!" Cortana shouted.

Suddenly, Sentinels appeared around him. "Cortana, don't do this."

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly. "But soon there will be no more sadness, no more anger, no more envy. We will exist together, John. Two corpses in one grave."

Then there was darkness.

**Crack!Fic (set during Halo 2)**

There was a secret about Cortana that John could not, _would not_, reveal to anyone.

Cortana played elevator music through his speakers during their missions.

At first, it had been a joke, a stress reliever, she had called it. But now, after over a dozen missions together, John had to admit he had become accustomed to the often tacky styles on music she played.

"I think the music scares the Covenant more than that assault rifle you carry," Cortana noted wryly as a Grunt started running in the opposite direction.

"It has nothing to do with the fact that I'm _the _demon?" he asked.

"Hmmm, no, I'm going to stick with the cheesy centuries-old music," she teased.

**Crossover (pre Halo 2)**

"You're going to have to give me a second before I can disable the defense grid," Cortana said through the private comm.

John leaned against the wall, waiting for any unexpected Elites. After nearly two minutes of silence, John prompted, "You almost done?"

"I'd like to see you try to crack a 16 billion character override in less than five minutes," she complained, sighing. "Just do your job looking for any Covenant and I'll do mine."

"Cortana, can't you just use the Force?" John asked as he scanned the empty hall.

Despite her not being in his armor, he could almost feel her frowning. "That's it. Johnson's not allowed to play any movies right before a mission."

**Friendship (pre Halo 2)**

Cortana couldn't understand, despite how many times they had been surrounded by Covenant troops, how John could remain so calm.

"I'm detecting six Elites in the corridor ahead," she said. "Plus nearly two dozen Grunts."

"Understood," he said evenly. He turned the corner, aiming his assault rifle for the first Covenant he saw. Several shots were fired and the Elite closest to them fell to the ground.

The Grunts squealed while the Elites roared. Suddenly, Cortana saw the unmistakable blue smoke of a plasma grenade come hurling towards them. "Chief!" she cried.

He effortlessly kicked away the grenade.

"Show off," Cortana grumbled as she watched the explosion take care of the remaining surviving Covenant in the room.

**Fluff (set after Halo: CE)**

John stood quietly as he watched Cortana work out of the corner of his eye.

"I missed you too," she said suddenly, smiling.

"What?" he asked, facing her.

"Chief, you've been watching me-not that covertly, I might add-for nearly ten minutes now. That's pretty much a dead giveaway of what you're thinking. "

She was right, of course. He _had _missed her. The last three days had been spent at various debriefings, keeping them apart. It wasn't until his last debriefing, John realized how much he missed Cortana. As he sat there, he wondered when she became more important than vengeance.

"Fine," he said, slightly uncomfortable. "I missed you."

"See, admitting your feelings isn't _that_ hard, Chief."

**Humor (set during Halo 2)**

This day was not going as planned, Cortana thought as John unsuccessfully dodged a volley of shots from a Brute's needler. Normally he was a blur of motion, effortlessly dodging any attack the Covenant launched against him.

But, not today.

"Tell me, John. Do you _like_ the feeling of getting shot?" she asked.

"Yes, Cortana," he replied, gritting his teeth. "It helps me focus."

Cortana internally winced. When John was sarcastic, it meant he was not in the mood for _her_ sarcasm. But she couldn't stay quiet. "You do know I 'feel' your pain every time you get hurt, right?"

"I'll try to more careful. I wouldn't want _you _to suffer."

"Har har, John. You're a riot."

**Hurt/Comfort (set between Halo: CE and Halo 2)**

Most of the time Cortana considered being an AI an advantage. She could infiltrate Covenant ships, Forerunner Installations, and UNSC classified data. But now, as she helplessly watched John bleed, Cortana wished she was more than an AI attached to a holographic avatar.

"Stick with me, Chief. We're gonna get out of here," she said.

Violently, he coughed several times, blood dripping from his mouth. "No you're not."

Cortana frowned. John was not one to easily give up. If he thought he wouldn't make it…No, Cortana stopped that line of thinking, he would be fine.

"You've defied the odds so many times, don't disappoint me now, Chief."

He turned his glassy stare towards her avatar. "I'll try."

**Romance (set during Halo 3)**

John made his way determinedly through High Charity. He knew Johnson and the Arbiter thought he had come to retrieve the Index, but the Chief knew the truth. He was there to save Cortana and nothing, not even a Gravemind, could keep him away.

It was strange. When he was first introduced to Cortana, he was worried how her civilian-type attitude would affect his ability to complete his mission. Now, he found himself distracted by the lack of her unique personality.

It was more than that though, a feeling that John wasn't quite ready to explore. For now, he needed to find Cortana and make sure she was safe.

He had a promise he needed to keep.

**UST (set after Halo: First Strike)**

"I see you're finally taking my advice to get some rest," Cortana greeted from the holoprojector as he entered the make-shift barracks.

Wordlessly, he popped off his helmet, setting it next to the AI. "Guess so."

"You doing ok?"

"I'm fine."

"John," she said, "you do remember I'm the AI who has practically heard every thought in your head since Reach."

He turned towards her, noticing she appeared to be leaning against his helmet, which, much to John's dismay, he found oddly seductive. Suddenly the idea of her knowing his every thought was _not_ a good thing.

"I've got to go," he said, taking his helmet.

There was no way, after _that, _he was getting any rest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Timestamps/any warnings are before each prompt. Oh, Cortana and John...I've missed writing you.**

* * *

SENSITIVE

(set between Halo: CE and Halo 2)

"Did I ever tell you I'm afraid of thunder?"

John looks up from his report to see the hint of a chagrined look pass over Cortana's face. She is looking down at the Earth below, where heavy thunderstorms are beating down on the African plains. They are safe, high above in the Cairo station, but he can tell she's unsettled.

"I didn't think you're afraid of anything."

She raises an eyebrow. "A few things." She pauses for a second. "Like losing you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"What about you? What scares you?"

"Nothing."

It's a lie and they both know it, but she doesn't call him on it. Instead, she says softly, "I'm not going anywhere either."

/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-

STRAY

(set during the promo for Halo Xbox One)

John has gone rogue.

For the first time, John isn't following orders given to him from the UNSC. No, his actions are based on what he ___needs_ to do.

Find Cortana.

When he learned there was intel that Cortana might have survived, he asked Osman to follow any leads.

She denied his request.

For a while, he was content to follow her orders. But when he heard information that ONI was sending a Fireteam to various locations where Cortana's program might be to eradicate her program, John knew he needed to act.

Now, he finds himself on an unfamiliar planet with no weapon and miles of sand around him.

Cortana's here somewhere.

And he will find her.

/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-

KISS

(human!Cortana AU, post Halo 4)

Cortana is kissing him.

John knows that he should be doing something - kissing her back, for one thing - but he can't get over the fact they're here, in front of all these people, doing this.

The claps and cheers from their audience tense him up more, but he knows that he needs to focus on the woman in front of him.

Closing his eyes, he returns the kiss.

The cheers get even louder.

Eventually, they pull away. A mischievous grin passes over her face. "How does it feel to be an old married man?"

Words have never been his strong suit, so he does the only thing he can think of.

He kisses her again.

/*-/*-/*-/*-/*-

I THINK OF YOU

(set between Halo 3 and 4)

It is dark.

It is silent.

It is a lonely.

It is in these long, countless hours that I'm afforded an opportunity that I haven't had since the day I was activated. To think of you.

Part of me is telling me to save my thoughts. I'm fighting an impossible enemy that will cost me my life. Rampancy.

But I cannot deny myself thoughts of you.

I think of your eyes, how expressive they are and how it is shameful that they are too often hidden behind your helmet.

I think of the smile in your voice because I have yet to see one on your face.

I think of you.

And I no longer feel alone.

/*-/*-/*-

WAIT, WHAT?

(set after the "Cortana" level in Halo 3)

"It's good to see you, ma'am."

'Vadam doesn't miss the look that the Spartan and the construct exchange as the video feed is terminated. The cabin is silent for several seconds before the Spartan speaks.

"Johnson is right."

"Is that you're way of saying you missed me?"

The Spartan shifted, uncomfortable. "Cortana…" His voice trailed off.

She crossed her arms. "Yes, John?"

John. So that was the Spartan's given name.

"I missed you."

'Vadam frowned. The tone in the human's voice conveyed a deep bond between the two of them.

But...she was a construct. He was not.

'Vadam shook his head as they approached the ring. It seemed humans were more confounding than he previously thought.

/*-/*-/*-

ONCE MORE

(set after Halo 4)

After nearly two years, John saw a sight he never thought he'd see again: Cortana.

Her eyes widened when he stepped into the room. "John...I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"I told you, I'm supposed to take care of you." The words were tight in his throat.

She threw her arms around him. Her sobs cause her body to shudder against his. John's arms moved on their own accord and wrapped them around the woman he had lost.

But, never again.

They stood there for a minute before she pulled away. "There's something else going on, isn't there?"

"I need you."

"You've already defeated the Flood and Didact. What could be worse?"

"The Precursors."

/*-/*-/*-

THE EDGE

(human!Cortana, character deaths)

"We're going to die." He sounds amazingly calm.

"We don't know that." Her argument comes off weak. His helmet had been destroyed during the explosion, their uniforms were stained with blood -both their own and their enemies.

"Cortana, I-" He pauses, then starts again. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

Cortana wants to cry at the unfairness of it all. Doesn't she and John deserve a little happiness after everything they had done?

John shows no such resentment. In the last minutes of his life, he was accepting his humanity.

And she was resenting hers.

Then, she feels something unexpected. His lips pressed softly against hers.

It is the last thing she feels before everything goes dark.

/*-/*-/*-/*-

LONG DISTANCE

(post Halo 4)

She is a fragment of what she once was.

She can only remember bits and pieces of her past. Her history is clothed in shadows.

There is one thing that she does remember with clarity.

John.

There is a promise in that singular word.

Her thoughts, as random as they are, calm when she thinks of him.

There is a distance that separates them, she knows that. If he was near, he would be there with her.

Whispers of her past speak of another time when they had been apart and how he had found her. Although she can't recall the details, she clings to that truth.

He will find her and she will be whole again.

/*-/*-/*-

DECAY

(set before the "Showdown" cutscene in Halo 4)

"You are risking your service record for me."

"I know what I'm doing."

"I can't -" She struggles for a moment. "I can't let you do that, John."

"No one will harm you, Cortana. Not a Gravemind, not the UNSC. No one."

A window appears on his HUD. "You can't save me. You know that, right? My program is decaying faster than I anticipated."

He refuses to accept the matter-of-fact tone to her voice. He builds a wall around his barely-contained emotions out of stubbornness and denial.

"We're going to find Halsey. You are going to make it." There's no other alternative for him.

"I'll try. For you, John."

John plans to hold her to that promise.

/*-/*-/*-/*-

CHOCOLATE

(human!Cortana, some random AU where angst took a vacation)

It started with a small chocolate candy on the desk in her lab.

Then, there was the chocolate cupcake sitting on the side table in her quarters.

The pattern continued for a week. Each day, there was a chocolate confection waiting for her.

She suspected John was behind the treats, but each time she was sure she would find him, he was nowhere to be found.

Not today.

She had made a big deal about taking a day off in the mess hall that morning. The lab, she had told John, was off-limits.

He had looked at her as if to say, ___Why are you telling me this?_, but she was wise to his feigned disinterest.

She hid in the corner of her lab, knowing he'd be there soon to drop off her treat.

It didn't take long for the door to open.

But, immediately, Cortana knew something wasn't right. That wasn't John.

It was DelMarco.

Oh.

Cortana fought down a wave of disappointment and shock. The womanizer was trying to pull moves on ___her_? What would John say?

Wait, what ___would_ John say?

Probably nothing. She suppressed a sigh.

She watched as DelMarco put the chocolate candy on her desk. When he had left, she emerged from her hiding spot and approached the chocolate.

She popped the chocolate in her mouth. For some reason, it didn't taste as sweet as it did before.

As she chewed the candy, she started to think about what she was going to do. Telling him the truth - that she had no intention of dating him - was the only option.

There was no reason to waste any time. She went out of the door Delmarco exited.

And was greeted by an amused looking John.

There were wrinkles around his eyes when he smiled. For a moment, Cortana was too busy appreciating his unexpected presence that she didn't pick up why he was there.

But her confusion didn't last long.

Her eyes narrowed. "You sent DelMarco in there."

He took a step closer to her. "If you wanted to know if it was me, you could have asked."

That would have ended their game and she wanted to win by catching him in the act.

"I will catch you."

There was a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes. She knew he liked the idea of a challenge.

"We'll see."

He turned and walked away. As she turned, she felt something rustle in her pocket. She reached in and pulled the item out.

It was a small chocolate bar.

How had he…

She peeled off the wrapper and ate the candy. She'd be ready for him tomorrow. If not...well, losing didn't taste that bad either.


End file.
